Horse Racing: What ever happened to?....

A few hours ago I went to the theater to watch "Seabiscuit" with a friend. As the credits were rolling at the end, my friend said to me, "they never said what happened to Seabiscuit."

In answer to his question, the final race in the movie, the Santa Anita Handicap, was Seabiscuit's final race. Seabiscuit set a new track record in that race, and his win made him the new leading money-earner at the time.

He earned Horse of the Year honors, retired and went to stud in California. He did produce some stakes winners, but he never topped the charts as a stud.

His owner, Charles Howard, continued to enjoy his relationship with Seabiscuit, and they went on trail rides in the California redwoods. When Seabiscuit died in May of 1947, Howard buried him in one of Seabiscuit's favorite spots and never disclosed the location.

Seabiscuit entered the Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1958, and a life-sized bronze statue of him still stands at Santa Anita racetrack.

War Admiral, Seabiscuit's rival in the movie, and in life, was a great racehorse whose achievements were shadowed by Seabiscuit's heart. He also achieved Horse of the Year honors.

War Admiral was retired from racing in 1939, and was America's leading sire in 1945, and leading broodmare sire in 1962 and 1964. He was inducted into the Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1958.

War Admiral died in 1959 and was buried next to his father, the great Man o'War.

As I walked to my car at the theater, and on the drive home, I couldn't get my friend Larry's question out of my mind -- "What ever happened to?"

Seabiscuit was born at Claiborne Farm in 1933. Fifty years later, in 1983, also at Claiborne Farm, another colt was born. He was to become known as Ferdinand.

In 1986, the great trainer Charlie Whittingham, at age 73 had yet to win a Kentucky Derby. Also, in 1986, the great jockey Willie Shoemaker, at age 54, was considered too old to win the Derby again.

Ferdinand, at odds of 17-1, was not considered a factor to win the Kentucky Derby that year. However, he went on to win, giving Charlie Whittingham his first Derby win, and Willie Shoemaker his final Derby win.

The following year, Alysheba competed in probably the most hard-earned Triple Crown trail. He fought hard to win the 1987 Kentucky Derby, with his smaller rival Bet Twice hard on his heels. He repeated in the Preakness in almost identical fashion. However, Bet Twice went on to defeat Alysheba in the Belmont Stakes, destroying an amazing attempt at the Triple Crown.

Later that same year, Ferdinand went on to meet Alysheba in the Breeder's Cup Classic, a battle of the two Kentucky Derby winners. Ferdinand defeated Alysheba in dramatic style, winning by a nose after a head-to-head battle down to the wire.

He went on to win 8 of 29 starts and became the fifth leading money-earner at the time, with lifetime earnings of $3,777,978. He retired in 1989, and went back to his birthplace, Claiborne Farm, to stand stud.

Ferdinand's first few crops were not very successful. Japan had been pursuing new breeding stock to bring to its country, and in 1994, Ferdinand was sold to Japan's JS Company and went to stand stud at Arrow Farm in Hokkaido. Ferdinand was very popular in Japan when he arrived and he was bred to 77 mares his first year there. After several years, his progeny was not as successful as anticipated, and his final year at Arrow he was bred to only 10 mares.

I think the movie "Seabiscuit" was released at a perfect time. It has just recently been discovered here in America the "what ever happened to" of Ferdinand.

In 2002, on the island of Japan, he was slaughtered for dog food.

While watching Seabiscuit, my friend Larry commented on how long the movie was.

The story of Seabiscuit's racing career isn't a long one. The story of his impact on this country, and those whose lives he personally touched is deserved of the time. A nation of down-trodden people needed to see Seabiscuit's triumph over adversity, and the triumphs of his owner, trainer, and jockey.

In the words of his trainer, Tom Smith, "You don't throw away an entire life just 'cause it's a little beat up".

Red Pollard, in the movie, said "People think we found a beat up horse and fixed him. The truth is, he fixed us".

And his owner, Charles Howard, said "everyone deserves a second chance."

Seabiscuit's life was, and is, a gift to this country.

Ferdinand's trainer Charlie Whittingham has since died, but I am sure that he never forgot the gift Ferdinand gave him -- his first Kentucky Derby win. Willie Shoemaker, now paralyzed, will never forget the gift Ferdinand gave him -- his final Kentucky Derby win.

I would like to say to Ferdinand's Japanese connections what Tom Smith said in Seabiscuit's movie, "every horse is good for something." How tragic it is that you could only see Ferdinand's value as dog food.

On behalf of Charlie Whittingham and Willie Shoemaker, thank you Ferdinand for your life. How sad that it takes a hard-times era, and a country in need of inspiration to appreciate the value of a life.

Seabiscuit has been memorialized with a statue at Santa Anita. War Admiral is memorialized with his father at Faraway Farm.

Ferdinand's last day was spent at a slaughterhouse.

You are memorialized in the hearts of those who knew you, respected you, and loved you.

You are remembered and loved for who you were Ferdinand.

Thank you to my friend Larry, whose question planted the seed of thought to tell Ferdinand's story.